The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions which include oil extract from plants from the Labiatae and Verbenacea family.
The common name for members of the Labiatae, a large family of chiefly annual or perennial herbs, is the xe2x80x9cmint family.xe2x80x9d The mint family is classified in the division Magnoliphyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Lamiales. The mint family includes about 200 genera, such as Salvia (sage), Rosmarinus (rosemary), Mentha (mint), Ocimum (basil), Thymus (thyme), Marrubium (hoarhound), Monarda (horse-mint), Trichostema (bluecurls), Teucrium, Hyptis, Physostegia, Lamium (henbit), Stachys, Scutellaria (skullcap), Nepeta (catmint). Members of the Verbenaceae family include Lippia (Mexican Oregano) and Lycopus.
The plants in the mint family are typically shrubby or climbing forms, although some exist as small trees. The plants are found throughout the world.
The mint family is well known for the aromatic volatile or essential oils in the foliage, which are used in perfumes, flavorings, and medicines. Among the more important essential oils are those derived from sage, lavender, rosemary, patchouli, and the true mints. Many of the commonly used potherbs are from the mint family, e.g., basil, thyme, savory, marjoram, oregano, and the plants previously mentioned.
Many of these plants have a history of medicinal use in domestic remedies, such as catnip, pennyroyal, hyssop, self-heal, the horehound of confectionery. Others are used as curative teas, for example, bee balm and yerba buena.
The true mints belong to the genus Mentha. Catnip or catmint refers to a strong-scented perennial herb (Nepeta cataria) of the family Labiatae. Catnip is native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in the United States. Although best known for its stimulating effect on cats, tea of the leaves and tops of the catnip plant have long been used as a domestic remedy for various ailments. For example, dry leaves from Nepeta cataria have been used for the production of tea, used to treat restlessness, nervousness, insanity, and as a tonic for colic and carminative.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,178 discloses pharmaceutical compositions for treating a disease in poultry induced by hemoflagellates. The pharmaceutical compositions contain thymol (5-methyl-2[1-methylethyl]phenol) and/or carvacrol (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol). Thymol (also referred to as isopropyl-cresol) and carvacrol (also referred to as Isopropyl-o-cresol) can be synthetic or obtained from oil extract from plants such as Origanuum vulgaris, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, Thymus sepilum, Saturia hortensis, Saturea montana, Saturea subricata, Carum corticum, Thymus zugus, Ocimum gratisimum, Moranda pungata, Mosla jananoica, and Salva officinalis. 
WO 96/37210 discloses pharmaceutical compounds which contain etheric oils from plants including Origanum vulgaris, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, Thymus serpilum, Saturea horensis, Saturea montana, Saturea subricata, Carum cortiucm, Thymus zugis, Ocimum gratisimum, Moranda pungtata, Mosla japanoica and Salva officinalis.
This disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions which include oil extract from plants from the Labiatae and Verbenacea family. In particular, the compositions can be formulated by combining extracts of an essential oil with an organic acid or a Group I salt. It is believed that the antimicrobial activity of the pharmaceutical composition is due to the presence of organic phenolic compounds, such as isopropyl-o-cresol, (5-isopropyl-2-methylphenol) and/or isopropyl-cresol (5-methyl-2[1-methylethyl]phenol) in the oil extract from the plants.
Suitable plants from the Labiatae and Verbenacea family include, but are not limited to, Ocimum spp., Saturea spp., Monarda spp, Origanum spp, Thymus spp., Mentha spp., Nepeta spp., Teucrium gnaphalodes, Teucrium polium, Teucrim divaricatum, Teucrim kotschyanum, Micromeria myrifolia, Calamintha nepeta, Rosmarinus officinalis, Myrtus communis, Acinos suaveolens, Dictamnus albus, Micromeria fruticosa, Cunila origanoides, Mosla Japonoica Maxymowitz, Pycnanthemum nudum, Micromeria Juliana, Piper betel, Trachyspermum ammi and Lippia graveolens. In a preferred composition, the plant is Nepeta racemosa or Nepeta Cataria. 
Examples of suitable organic acids include citric acid, propionic acid, fumaric acid, folic acid, malic acid, orthophosphoric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, butyric acid, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and formic acid. A preferred composition includes an organic acid such as citric acid, propionic acid, fumaric acid and folic acid.
Suitable Group I salts include salts formed from a Group I cation and halogen. Preferred salts include Group I chloride salts and the most preferred salts are sodium chloride and potassium chloride.
A number of different formulations can be manufactured depending on the type and location of the infection to be treated.